Woodpecker Rules

Turns out Woodpecker has two 24"rules,
one mainly for measuring ($30) and one mainly for
setting up tools($40)-it's called SERX. Both are Aluminum.
The first rule looks dandy, with it's engraved markings and angled edge.
I would have expected it to be straight enough to use
for both measuring AND setting up tools.
Can anyone shed anymorelight on this (Is it a racket? LOL ).
Woodworkingshows is coming to town soon! : )
Bill

For actual woodworking i have the 48" and 34" version of the Story Stick
pro. I use these multiple time on every project. Great for
transferring an exact measurement, what ever it might be, from the
actual project to the saw for perfect length cuts. I use it to lay out
reference lines on both ends of the track for my track saw. The story
stick pro reflects setting measurements on both sides of the measure.
Useable on both sides at the same time.

I bought a SS 24" rule from Lee Valley mainly for drawing straight lines
for bandsaw work. It is straight as far as I can tell, but LV advised
me that it was not intended for that, they suggested that I buy a
certified straight edge. I resisted.

I saw yours online and they look plenty straight enough for drawing
pencil lines. I wonder why they call them "Cabinetmaker's Rules"?
I wanted something to help set up a jointer (among other things). A
selling point made is that the Aluminum won't dull the blades.
If you can rest a rule on a cast iron surface, and can't see light under
it, then the rule is probably flat enough, aye?

I think you made the right choice for your intended use. Even of the
rule is off a few thousandths compared to the "certified" straightedge over
it's 24 inch length, how much difference would it make to a band saw cut?

--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation
with the average voter. (Winston Churchill)

Depending on the quality of your equipment you need to be able to
measure in the thousands of an inch. For example to measure your
TS blade being parallel to the miter slot and the fence parallel to the
blade you are shooting for as close to perfectly parallel as you can
get. Dial indicators which measure much smaller increments helps you
get there especially when setting the miter slot to the blade.
Typically rip fences are very easy to adjust in small increments and
results are easily seen by your eye so in this case I never use a
measuring devise to set the fence parallel to the blade.

On 1/17/2013 10:18 AM, Swingman wrote:
> ... although there is really only one way to adjust the miter slot to
> be parallel to the fence on most table saws, and that is by loosening
> the top, and banging it into alignment with all the precision of a
> hammer/mallet ...
Made me go back and read mine ... that should be "miter slot to be
parallel to the blade", fercrisskaes ...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would not try to set cutter knives parallel to feed tables on a
jointer,
unless I had the magnetic jig sold for the purpose.
Life is just to short to try to do otherwise.
Lew

Thank you. I will learn about the jig.
One of the features of Grizzly's "parallelogram" jointer, supposedly a
step-up
than the standard/traditional design, is that the infeed and outfeed tables
are supposed to say parallel, even after adjustments, after the jointer
is set up the first time.
The infeed and outfeed tables move together. The Lee Valley 38-inch
straight-edge ($40) will probably
come in handy for more things than I can anticipate.
Bill

I dont recall which one you looking at but you should strongly consider
the spiral cutter head.
Thinking a little further, look at the Griz jointers with the carbide
cutters. These stay sharp a long time can have their cutting surfaces
renewed by rotating them up to 4 times and require no measuring what so
ever then renewing or replacing the cutting tips.

...
_Presuming_ the jointer has the indexing hole/jig of the
Delta/Powermatic, and ideally, the spring at the bottom of the blade
against which it will sit to hold it up while adjusting, then all that
is needed is a straight edge, preferably a hardwood block that you can
use to check against.
Raise the infeed table to _precisely_ even w/ the outfeed and since the
knife should be at TDC owing to the indexing, all you need is to hold
the knife down at the level w/ the block and tighten. Do it uniformly
across the beds as pushing one end down causes the other to raise, of
course.
You can easily make a magnetic setting tool--Radio Shack has a set of
roughly 3/4"x 1" rare earth magnets--forget the number in the set but
get six. Again start w/ a piece of hardwood (hard maple/beech/etc.) and
make two pieces w/ a straight, smooth surface of roughly 8-10" length
and couple inches wide or so for convenience. Place the magnets on the
infeed or outfeed table, one at each end of your pieces and one towards
one end removed enough from the end that it will cover the knife
location when the two ends are in place on the infeed/outfeed table w/o
hitting either. Use a dab of RTV to glue them in place and when
thoroughly dry--voila! a jig as good as the commercial at a fraction of
the cost.
Since the table is the reference surface, the magnets are as
straight/flat as the table surface and any small imperfection in your
mounting blocks is taken up by the RTV.
--

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